1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for restoring a mechanical relay used in a vehicle from a temporary stuck fault to a normal condition, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for restoring a mechanical relay from a stuck fault to a normal condition, wherein if a temporary stuck fault attributable to impurities at the contact point of the mechanical relay or a low temperature is generated in the mechanical relay when an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) detects a failure that may affect a driver, an operation of periodically applying an electric current to the coil of the mechanical relay configured to stop a random operation of an actuator by blocking the supply of an electric current to the actuator is repeated so that heat and an electrical movement are provided, thereby being capable of restoring the mechanical relay from the temporary stuck fault to a normal condition and preventing the ECU from being detected as being a failure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a vehicle is equipped with an ECU configured to receive electrical signals detected by a variety of types of input sensors and to output digital control signals for driving a variety of types of actuators on the output side.
The ECU for a vehicle uses a mechanical relay for a safety function. The mechanical relay functions to stop a random operation of an actuator by blocking an electric current supplied to the actuator when the ECU detects a failure that may affect a driver.
The mechanical relay may be subject to a temporary stuck fault attributable to the impurities of a contact point or a low temperature. An existing safety function is configured to operate after the open/short function of the mechanical relay is checked. If the mechanical relay is temporarily stuck, the ECU determines such a temporary stuck state to be a failure because the operation of the mechanical relay is unable to be guaranteed.
Accordingly, there is a problem in that the failure rate of the ECU may rise depending on a low temperature condition and the lifespan of the mechanical relay because the ECU determines a temporary stuck fault to be a failure when the temporary stuck fault is generated in the mechanical relay due to the impurities of a contact point or a low temperature.